The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for automatically removing a substantial portion of foreign matter and damaged fruit from a harvested crop of tomatoes while passing through a high-capacity harvesting machine.
In applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,512 is disclosed a machine for harvesting tomatoes by removing the plants and fruit from the ground, shaking the vines to remove the fruit, and transporting the crop to a final discharge conveyor. Although the majority of dirt, stones, and other foreign matter normally fall through the chain-type conveyors during the harvesting operation, a certain amount remains with the fruit and may be discharged from the machine into the receiving structure for the harvested fruit. The unwanted materials may include small or damaged fruit as well as foreign matter such as plant stems, sticks or weeds. Such materials may, of course, be removed manually, but the high quantity of crop output per unit of time of which the machine is capable is not commensurate with thorough hand sorting.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a tomato harvesting machine which operates automatically to produce a final discharge of harvested fruit essentially free of foreign matter and other unwanted materials.
A further object is to provide a tomato harvester having means for automatically separating and discarding unwanted materials which is adjustable to vary the size of material which will be discarded.
Another object is to provide a method mechanically removing unwanted materials from a supply of harvested tomatoes as the latter moves through automated harvesting machinery.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.